How to Get Involved at WCU

Decide to make a difference. Student activism and organizing is one of the most effective ways to push things forward on campus. One great example of what a campus garden in an urban setting can do is the campus garden run by Yale. Maybe you would like to get involved with the Outdoor Garden Classroom here on campus.

Some other examples of how WCU students have contributed to sustainability efforts here on campus can be found in our Speaker's Bureau page.

There are lots of other ways to get involved. If sustainability issues are important to you, contact your elected officials and let them know you want sustainability projects to be supported in the upcoming budgets as well as in future legislation. Make sure you register to vote.

West Chester University is a member of AASHE, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, and as such, all members of the WCU community who log in from a WCU computer can take full advantage of the resources available at the AASHE website.

EARTH (Environmental Association for the Repair of the Habitat) Group

EARTH - WCU's student environmental organization - has since 1970 worked to develop campus and community awareness of the environment and each person's responsibility to protect it. Initiatives such as the annual Earth Day Festival, collaboration with the Environmental Council, Quad articles, and visits to other student groups are among EARTH's activities.

Generation E

Students Leading for a Sustainable, Clean Energy Future by Christina Erickson and David J. Eagan. This book reports on 35 ways students are creating a sustainable future at U.S. colleges and universities - cutting carbon emissions, saving resources and equipping the coming generation for a green energy economy.

Your Lifestyle and Sustainability

Moving toward sustainability in the U.S. will ultimately involve big changes in policy, technology, and the way business is done. But the most important changes may be the ones that each person will make about his or her own lifestyle choices. John Dernbach, an environmental law expert, put it this way: "The decisions Americans make about sustainable development are not technical decisions about peripheral matters, and they are not simply decisions about the environment. They are decisions about who we are, what we value, what kind of world we want to live in, and how we want to be remembered."

Students in Humans and the Environment (ESS 102) examined and reconsidered their lifestyle choices - decisions about driving, electricity use, food and water consumption, and waste and recycling - and they wrote about their accomplishments. Most students want to keep the lifestyle changes they made; many have advice and encouragement for you!

There are many positions being created with the title "sustainability director/coordinator" or something like that. They are usually in large firms. Other positions may be unpaid, along the lines of a Green Team within an existing organization. Other positions are in government and non-profits. The field is evolving with more opportunities happening every day.

There are many green jobs that don't necessarily require college degrees. These include recycling sorting, bike repair, weatherizing houses, installing green infrastructure such as solar panels, wind turbines, green roofs or rain gardens. However, someone has to train and manage these workers. The green sector of the economy also requires project managers and sales staff who are trained and conversant in sustainability issues.

And, of course, educators - teachers and professors - who will train all of these workers and professionals will also be required.

The Geography Club

The Alchemist Club

The Darlington Biological Society

Research

Numerous opportunities exist for WCU students to become involved in research related to environmental issues and sustainability. Follow these links to find out more about research that is going on around campus.

Learn more about how to get involved educationally in weather and climate from Higher Education Opportunities at NOAA. These items are designed for undergraduate and graduate students who are looking for research opportunities, scholarships, grants, fellowships, and jobs.

EPA Student Internships - Numerous opportunities are available at EPA's offices in Washington, D.C. and in their offices and labratories throughout the nation for students to gain vital career experience, while contributing to the mission of protecting human health and safeguarding the environment. You can also learn more about summer job opportunites, Student Career Experience Program, National Network for Environmental Management Studies, Student Services Contracting Authority, Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) Undergraduate Fellowships, Student Career Experience Program, Student Temporary Employment Program, and the Tribal Lands Environmental Science Scholarship Program.

Institute for Broadening Participation (supported by NSF and NASA)
has a mission to increase diversity in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) workforce. They design and implement strategies to increase access to STEM education, funding, and careers, with special emphasis on diverse underrepresented groups. They believe that diversifying the STEM workforce is the best way to ensure our nation's economic vitality and solve global challenges. They feature postdoc openings on http://www.pathwaystoscience.org/Postdocs_portal.aspx.